Universal executive describes Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ as a “masterpiece”
Universal, the studio backing Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Odyssey, is sounding confident about its prospects once it hits theatres next year.
At this stage in his career, Nolan can expect any of his films to be box office successes no matter the subject matter. That was made clear in 2023 when he released his three-hour biopic, Oppenheimer. It was a far cry from the action-packed thrillers that made him one of the most successful filmmakers of his generation, but it still pulled in close to a billion in box office revenue and swept the Oscars.
When it was announced that the newly minted Oscar winner would be setting his sights on an adaptation of Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, it seemed that he had another hit in the making.
However, even with the stratospherically high expectations that are heaped on every Nolan project, Universal executive Jim Orr made an audience at CinemaCon laugh this week when he proclaimed (via Variety) that this next feature will be “a visionary, once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would quite likely be proud of.”
He cited the cast, which includes Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson and Charlize Theron, but did not provide any footage of the film to back up his lofty claim. As is typical with a Nolan film, little is known about the project, and the cast list has been revealed in ones and twos to drum up anticipation.
Damon stars as Odysseus, the Greek hero who takes a harrowing journey home after the Trojan War. Holland will play his son, Telemachus. But beyond these two, there has been no information on who the other starry actors will portray. Hoyte van Hoytema, who won an Oscar for his work on Oppenheimer, is reteaming with the director to provide the cinematography.
The Odyssey is set for release on July 17th, 2026.
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